Support for running-boards for vehicles



C. B. BAKER.

SUPPORT FOR RUNNING BOARDS FOR VEHICLES.

APPLICATION FILED IAN. I2. 1920.

Patented May 4, 1920.

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SUPPORT FOR RUNNING BOARDS FOR VEHICLES.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 12| |920.

Patented May 4,1920.

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CLOICEBJBAKER, or sr. LOUIs, MISSOURI, AssIGNoR or ONE-HALF To WILLIAM A BAWDEN, or sr. LoUIs, Mis-sonni.

SUPPORT FOR RUNNNG-BOARDS FOR VEHICLES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

vPatented May 4, 1920.

Application mea January 12,"1e2osemi No. 350,865.

To all whom, t may concern Be it known that I, CLoIon B. BAKER, a citizen of the United States, residing at St. Louis, Statev of Missouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Supports for Running-Boards for Vehicles, or which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof.

The present invention is directed to improvements in supports for running boards for locomotives, box cars, and vehicles generally,having special application to locomotives however because ot its eminent adaptation to this type of vehicle. As well known to those skilled in the art, the usual manner of mounting a locomotive running board is'to secure to the outer shell of the locomotive by means'of stud-bolts a series of angle brackets, the horizontal arms of which form the:immediate supporting members for the board, the latter being i fastened to the bracket arms by means of carriage bolts or in any other suitable mechanical manner. It frequently happens that in the switching of engines, or where lengines have frequent occasion to pass one another as at railroad terminals, an engine is often side-swiped by another engine or car, the side-swipe usually tearing oit the running board.

In the majority of these accidents the studbolts by which the brackets are secured to the boiler shell are torn from the shell, leaving openings through which the hot water and steam (usually at a pressure of two hundred pounds or more to the square inch) are allowed to escape, thereby not only enveloping ythe engine in a cloud of steam, but often making it impossible for the engineer and fireman to escape when they are usually scalded to death. The main object sought by the present invention is to provide a support for the running board which will insure against the tearing out of the stud-bolts secured to the boiler shell, at the same time providing means for iexibly supporting the board so thatthe same may yield if sideswiped by another car or engine, the flexible character ot the support removing the strain which.v would otherwise pull the securing bolts from their moorings in the shell. A further object is to provide an installation in which the brackets forming the lexible support will not distort when the engine is side-swiped, thereby making it easy to repair the engine and cutting down the cost or repairs. The advantages of the invention will be more fully and clearly apparent :fromA the 'following detailed description in connection with the accompanying drawings in which- Figure l represents a perspective of the rear end of a locomotive boiler showing my invention applied thereto; Fig. 2 is a transverse vertical section through the tire box showing end views of the running boards; Fig. 3 is an enlarged side elevation of one of the supporting brackets, the boiler shell wall. and running board being shown in cross section; Fig. l is a top plan of the bracket shown in Fig. 3; Fig. 5 is a vertical sectional detail on the line 5-5 of Fig. 4:; Fig. 6 is a front elevation oi the casting which supports the bracket carrying the running board; Fig. 7 is a side elevation of the casting showing the manner of righting or leveling the same to conform to the curvature of the boiler wall; and Fig.. 8 is a bottom plan of the bracket, the same being broken away at an intermediate point oi its lengthy Referring to the drawings, B, represents the shell of the boiler, F, the fire box, W, the water legs ou the sides of the fire-box, and C, the cab, as wellunderstood in the art. Disposed along the outer sheets of the water legs, and along the shell of the boiler are a 'series of bracket-supporting castings each comprising a body portion or plate l terminating the top in a rearwardly projecting flange or chipping strip 2 extending the full width ot the plate, a second rearwardly projecting, centrally disposed narrow chipf ping strip or leg 3 being formed along the bottom edge of the plate, said leg 3 beingof greater length than the ange 2 and extending rearward of the plate beyond the free edge of the flange. Disposed on the front side of the plate is a socket 4 extending the vfull height of the plate, the latter being prol vided onopposite sides of the socket with holes 'o for the passage therethrough of the 9 (shown herein in tvvo sections) is se" stud bolts 5 leading from the boiler, the stud in Fig. 3 being shown in connection With the outer sheet of the Water-leg IW. The socket 4 of each casting receives the pivot pin or stud leading from the bess 7 at the fulcruni end oi a bracket arm 8, the top of the casting l. engaging the annular shoulder s Jformed by the bottoni 'face of the boss around the base of the pin, whereby the bracket arm becomes hingedly or pivotally supported by the casting.

It Will be remembered that the flange 2 and leg 3 were referred to as chipping strips. The function served thereby is best brought out in Fig. 7. The casting 1 when applied to the shell el the boiler or to the Water-leg on the side of the fire-box is placed with the members 2, 3, against the boiler Wall. Should the outer curvature of this Wall be such as to cause the casting to tilt from a truly vertical position, or from one which will incline the upper surface or" the casting avv'ay from the horizontal, the Work man simply chips ofi' the necessary amount of metal from either the flange 2 or leg 3 to permit the casting to assume the proper position for supporting` the bracket arm 8 in a truly horizontal plane. In the ligure referred to the dotted position or' the casting is the correct position, it being necessary to chip oil 'from the iiange 2 shown in full, a strip of the Widthv indicated by the dotted portion a to permit the casting to be tilted from its inclined iull line position to its righted or truly vertical dotted position, it being necessary or' vcourse to dispose the top supporting suriaces'of the several castings in a horizontal plane to hold the bracket arms which carry the running board in a horizontal position. The running board 'ired to the bracket arms 8 by means of car 'e bolts 10 well understood the art, '.liic rear end of the board or that supporting Vthe'cab C is Wider than the portion opposite the shell. B of the boiler, oliset d being formed in the board for that purpose. Obviously, the bracket arms 8 supporting the `narrovver portion of the board are shorter than the bracket arms leading from thefre box Walls and supporting the rear Wide end of the board (Fig. l).

In practice, after the several castings l have been secured, to the boiler, the pivot p1ns`6 of the several bracketarms are inserted 'into the sockets llof the castings Vand swung parallel to one another to a position 'at right angles 'to the boiler Wall, after which the running board is deposited on the bracket arms and secured thereto by the bolts 10. Incase of a side-sivipe, thel most serious damage is a splintering or tearing` of the board from the bracket arms, the pir# otalconnections between the latter and the castings 1 causing a deflection or yielding of the bracket arms as a result of the shock due to the impact of the side-swipe. Under those circumstances there is absolutely no danger of the tearing out of the stud bolts from their moorings in the boiler Walls, and consequently no possibility of releasing the steam and hot Water from the boiler. T here is therefore no likelihood of the engineer or iireman beingscalded by escaping' 2. In combination With a vehicle, a series f of fixed supports on the side thereoi'spaced suitable distances apart, brackets leading therefrom and disposed infhinged relation thereto about substantially vertical aires, a running board mounted on the brackets, and means for fastening' the-board to the brack-A ets.

3. In combination With a vehicle,a series of liXed supports on the side thereoil spaced suitable distances apart and provided vvith vertically disposed sockets, brackets provided at one end With pivot pinsV or studs loosely received by said sockets, a-running board supported by the several brackets, and bolts .tor securing the board to the brackets.

Ll. In combination with a locomotive boiler, a series ci socket plates secured thereto along the sides thereof, bracket arms provided with vertically disposed pinsorstuds loosely received by the sockets andprojectinv outwardl' from the boiler a runnin plate provided on one side with a socket, a l

chipping strip at one end oit the plate on the side opposite the socket extending substantially the full Width of the plate, and a chipping strip or leg at the opposite end and of greater length than the first mentioned chipping strip.Y

6. A bracket-supporting member for running boards forV engines, comprising a plate Vprovided on one side'ivith acentrally disposed socket, a chipping strip extending the Width of the plate `at one end thereof on the side opposite from the socket, a second chipping strip at theV opposite endof the plate disposed opposite the socket and having a lengthsuchas to project a greater distance from the face of the plate ythan the first mentioned chipping strip, the plate being provided with bolt holes on opposite sides of the socket.

7. In combination with a fixed support, a series of bracket arms mounted hngedly thereto about substantially 'vertical axes and projecting in the same general direction therefrom, and a running board secured to Said series of arms and disposed n to one Side of the hinge axes of the arms. 10

, In testimony whereof I a'iix my signa` ture, in presence of two Witnesses.

CLOICE B. BAKER. Vitnesses EMIL STAREK, WM. BAWDEN. 

